Razer Huntsman vs Anne Pro 2: Mechanical Keyboard Reviews in Talk Radio

Razer Huntsman, $80

Choosing the Huntsman was a good way to get blue switch feel for red switch price. Although Razer proprietary purple opto-mechanical switches are overrated for gaming speed, the lasers seemed no worse than metal contacts. If you work alone and enjoy Razer’s rainbow light aesthetic, this is a fantastic mechanical keyboard for less than $100. I highly recommend it.

The major con on this keyboard (and not a fair bone to pick, given its price) are wobbly stabilizers, eg the same wire bars found under the key caps in typical membrane keyboards. So if you pick it up and shake it, the caps will rattle on their switches. At your fingertips, this makes the keys feel slightly wobbly, most apparent with long keys especially spacebar.

The keycaps themselves are smooth and soft and would probably get shinier with wear.

Huntsman is very noisy. Even gently touching keys without pressing them emits an echoey rattle. Purples, like blues, make a loud crisp click when pressed. When the key bottoms out, a metallic echo thru the aluminum plate. The entire sound effect is typewriter-like.

Anne Pro 2, $120

AP2 being a portable product, the layout is 60% size of a normal keyboard & battery recharges on a USB-C cable. The Anne Pro is very customizable and if ordered from the manufacterer’s website one can choose from many different switch types. I needed to get my KB fast, so I got the default gateron brown switches via prime.

AP2 feels very solid, all a tough matte plastic that will resist being rubbed smooth, a firm base, and very tall sculpted keys. It looks chunky and retro and feels great. The sound is none from the switch itself, just the dull tap of the cap hitting the case. It is only little louder than a membrane keyboard with tall keys.

The plastic is very durable which is ideal for a keyboard I take on my adventures, but the drawback is the lit up characters are dimmer in some areas. If one looks closely, letters appear to be splotchy.

The biggest con for this keyboard are the buttons missing in 60% layout. But the layout has many upsides, it is smaller, more portable, and easier to arrange comfortably. I tend to use it at an angle to the screen; A full layout is too big for this.

Comparison

It’s not really fair to compare Huntsman and AP2 on build quality. AP2 is shipped directly to mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. Huntsman is found on store shelves and aimed at gamers who think lasers could give them a competitive advantage. AP2 is objectively better, but Huntsman is not just a bargain, it’s probably a better value overall until portability is needed.

AP2 keys are more highly sculpted and taller, giving more depth to button press which I like. AP2 does not rattle when handled. Unlike the Huntsman, no wire bars under the keys. The key press just feels solid which is satisfying.

I love Huntsman’s metallic old typewriter sound. But it’s good to have a quieter alternative better tolerated by people close to me.

My desktop has total 3 Razer peripherals now, but the AP2 almost looks like it belongs with them. By default, the Huntsman RGB is a slow fade from one shade to the next, while AP2 has a different color on each row. I’d say Huntsman, with the stylish font, floating keys, aluminum plate and gradually shifting RGB, is a better looking keyboard.

Last updated September 04, 2022